


i'll paint their faces and take care of you

by most_ardently_writes



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: AU kind of??, Billy Hargrove Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Billy Hargrove Tries to Be a Better Person, Bisexual Tommy Hagan, Fluff, Hurt Steve Harrington, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Not really angsty, Pre-Relationship, Protective Billy Hargrove, Soft Billy Hargrove, Stranger Things 2, Taking Care of Steve Harrington, Tommy Hagan has a crush on Steve Harrington
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:14:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29011104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/most_ardently_writes/pseuds/most_ardently_writes
Summary: And the whole scene reminds him of before, except this time, Billy’s knuckles aren’t covered in red. There’s a rage boiling in his gut. “You know who did that to him?” he manages to get out.Max follows his eye line before nodding. “Dustin said some guy called Sean jumped him or something.”“Sean as in Stephens?” he asks, fingers crushing the cigarette in his hand.She turns to him, a worried look on her face. “What are you going to do?”Billy sneaks another look at Steve, and the anger festers within him. The light turns green, and he curls his fingers around the wheel. “I’m gonna make sure he doesn’t touch Steve ever again.”Or the one where Steve gets beat up, and Billy doesn't like that.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Tommy Hagan & Billy Hargrove
Comments: 15
Kudos: 201





	i'll paint their faces and take care of you

**Author's Note:**

> Saw [this](https://memes-saved-me.tumblr.com/post/641248277906505728/no-one-touches-steve-and-gets-away-with-it) and was like oh my gosh, I need to write this. 
> 
> Here's their [tumblr](https://memes-saved-me.tumblr.com/) and their [ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Memessavedme/pseuds/Memessavedme)
> 
> Also, there might be some inaccuracies (ie: the mart name, who's car it is, where Max stabbed him) because I was too lazy to rewatch the episodes to find out the details but oh well, hope you enjoy :)

Months after the fight, Billy hadn’t really made up with Steve per se. He hadn’t said those two words because in his opinion, they held no weight if there wasn’t any action behind it. But still, Hawkins was only so big, and the Party was only so small, so eventually they had to get to a point where Steve didn’t flinch at every purr of the camaro and where Billy didn’t feel like something was clawing away at the insides of him every time Steve avoided him.

So nowadays, if they ever saw each other out and about, it was more of a head nod that symbolized “I’ll leave the kids alone, if you promise you’re keeping Max safe” type of thing. And occasionally this extended to a “I’m at the quarry. You’re at the quarry. We’re not going to talk about the deep bags under your eyes or the darkening bruises on mine, but we can share this blunt and pretend we’re angsty teens, even if it’s just for a moment.”

In school, it worked similarly. Tommy was still on his weird homoerotic pulling pigtails thing where he would say comments about dethroning King Steve, but would also always seem to have his eyes on him everywhere he went. 

And Billy knew all about homoerotic pulling pigtails. Had his fair share of pulling pigtails with a certain recently dethroned, brown eyed, king, and that got him nowhere except blood on his fists and a syringe in his neck. But he’d let Tommy figure that one out on his own. 

“Yo, Hargrove,” Tommy shouted across the parking lot, waving him over. 

Looking up, Billy took count of who was around - a bunch of preppies he definitely didn’t have time for today - and shook his head before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. He could quietly hear Tommy mutter a “this fucker” before walking over to Billy.

“Dude, you didn’t hear me calling you?”

“What is it, Hagan?” he muttered, not even sparing him a look. 

Tommy leaned back against the camaro, attempting to look cool and nonchalant, but quickly moved upon seeing Billy’s glare. He opted for crossing his arms and plastering a glare on his face. “You seen Harrington?” he asked, squinting towards the emptying school building.

“Why the _fuck_ would I have seen him?” Billy huffed, blowing out a stream of smoke.

“I dunno. I see you guys sometimes in the halls or in the cafeteria, so I just thought that you and he were-”

“We were what?” Billy glares, cutting him off. Tommy has the good sense to take a step back. 

“Nothing, man. I just thought you were friends or something.”

Billy scoffs, rolling his eyes. “So ‘cause I don’t pull Harrington’s pigtails like you do, that means we’re friends?”

“Pigtails- I don’t! I’m with Carol!” Tommy stutters out, his freckles standing out more as his face goes red.

Billy gives him a pointed look before taking another drag.

“You used to do it too. Before you got all soft for him,” Tommy mumbles after a moment.

And Billy doesn’t have time to deal with Tommy and his unrequited, unrealized feelings for his ex best friend. Took him long enough to figure it out himself, and he doesn’t feel like going down that road again. “Fuck you want, Hagan.” He says, a slight growl in his throat.

“Nothing, man. I just didn’t know if you saw him. That’s all. He wasn’t in class today, and you know how everyone is with him now that he’s...you know,” Tommy trails off.

“Ain’t that your doing?”

Tommy flushes again, rubbing the back of his head. “Mm, Yeah, I guess.” He goes silent a moment before. “Hey, me and Carol are going to the Mart after this if you wanna’ come.”

“Hard pass,” Billy chortles, throwing his cigarette to the ground. Moving past Tommy, he walks to the driver’s side.

“Yeah, course,” Tommy says. His face is downturned, and Billy can see the slight bit of hurt staining Tommy’s face. Closing his eyes, he sighs to himself. Knows he has to correct this because Tommy’s doesn’t mean any actual harm. Just wants to know if his ex-best friend is okay.

“Have to drive my sister around, that’s all,” he gets out. Tommy’s face lights up at that just as the familiar dash of red works its way through the crowd. 

“Yeah, alright. Catch you tomorrow then.” 

He starts to walk away, and Billy curses at himself for being weak enough to ask. “If you hear from Harrington before Monday..." 

Tommy turns, grinning with a knowing look. “I’ll let you know.”

Max finally gets to the car, skateboard in hand, dirt smudged across her forehead, and a cut on her cheek.

“You’re late, shitbird. Didn’t I tell you 4:00? Not 4:20.” Billy mutters, getting into the car.

“You can take me to the arcade,” she says, ignoring him.

“What happened to your face?”

She pulls down the visor, examining her face. “Nothing.”

“Maxine.”

“Don’t call me that, _William_."

“What happened to your face?” And then, when she still hasn’t said anything minutes later, he adds, softer. “I don’t want Neil to think..." And she knows what he means. Goes real quiet, picking at a scab on her arm before.

“Nothing. Just a couple of boys. But I handled them. I’m fine, really.” 

He takes his eyes off the road, looking her over for any other bruises, before nodding. “There’s some bandaids and stuff in there,” he says, nodding towards the glove department. 

“Billy, I’m-”

“Fine. Yeah, I know. Just clean it at least. So it doesn’t get infected.” 

She gives him a look before complying. “I said I’m fine. I can handle them,” she huffs.

A small smile sneaks onto his face as he watches his sister not sister angrily clean the mark on her face. Yeah. She can definitely handle them.

___

They’re driving home after the arcade, something heavy blasting through the radio, when the light turns red, and he comes to a stop. Looking out the window, he notices Tommy’s car at the Mart. After a moment, its owner walks out from the store. Following someone. Always following someone. And then the person turns, and Billy’s heart momentarily stops before filling with anger. 

Steve’s leading Tommy and Carol, but his face is all different shades of blue and purple with an accent of red dancing over his lips. He says something to Tommy, arms flailing, as he tries to walk off. Reaching out, Tommy grabs his arm, pushing him towards the hood of his car. After a moment, Steve listens, sitting down and placing his head in his hands.

And the whole scene reminds him of before, except this time, Billy’s knuckles aren’t covered in red. There’s a rage boiling in his gut. “You know who did that to him?” he manages to get out. 

Max follows his eye line before nodding. “Dustin said some guy called Sean jumped him or something.”

“Sean as in Stephens?” he asks, fingers crushing the cigarette in his hand.

She turns to him, a worried look on her face. “What are you going to do?”

Billy sneaks another look at Steve, and the anger festers within him. The light turns green, and he curls his fingers around the wheel. “I’m gonna make sure he doesn’t touch Steve ever again.”

___

Steve’s signature BMW is already at the quarry, by the time Billy pulls up the next day. He leans on the hood, staring up at the sky. Billy checks himself in the mirror before making his way over to him.

“You got bruises on your hands today,” Steve says with a nod.

“You got bruises on your face,” Billy shrugs.

Steve chuckles, “Yeah, I guess.” His eyes sweep over Billy’s body before settling on his face. His tongue darts out over his lips, and Billy has a strong desire to chase after it. Wants to feel Harrington’s blood on his own lips. 

He looks away. “What, man?”

“Nothing. Not used to seeing you without them.” Another lookover. “You got freckles, you know that?”

It’s only then that Billy really understands the whole King Steve thing. Completely gets why no matter how much Tommy claims to hate him, he can’t keep his eyes off of him. There’s just something about the way Steve looks at you like he’s scavenging your body for its deepest secrets because he genuinely wants to know everything about you. Like he actually cares about you.

“Yeah, well, I’m not used to seeing you with them,” he stutters out.

“I think I look kinda badass.”

Billy scoffs because of course some sick part of him finds a roughed up Steve who’s still got that loveable charm incredibly attractive, and the thought bubbles in his gut uncomfortably. 

“What? You don’t like it? Don’t think I look pretty enough?” He takes a step closer, encroaching on Billy’s space with that dangerous smirk on his lips. Billy feels all sense leave him, suddenly feeling like all those girls who probably stay up all night thinking about their one moment with King Steve. And what’s happening right now. This moment right here. This is most definitely his moment.

Steve takes another step, eyes sweeping over Billy again. He goes to curl his lower lip into his mouth when-

“Ah fuck!” There’s a trail of flesh blood staining his lips from the recently opened wound.

“This is like the tenth time today. It’s never gonna’ heal at this point,” he groans. “I hate this so much.”

Shaking his head, Billy goes to his car, grabbing the first aid kit.

“Come here,” he says curling his hand around Steve’s wrist. Steve makes a small _oomph_ sound at the sudden movement, but complies nonetheless.

Pulling out an alcohol swab, he goes to press it to Steve’s lip, but Steve stops him. “That’s gonna sting.”

“Don’t be a baby.”

“I’m not,” he huffs. “I just- _ah shit_!” He glares as Billy runs the swab over the cut. “Maybe warn a guy next time.”

Billy scoffs, “There won’t be a next time.”

“Yeah, we’ll see,” Steve hums. “Everyone’s gonna wanna take a jab at their old king sooner or later.”

“Nah. I won’t let that happen.”

“What? You gonna follow me around all day being my knight in shining armor?” Steve quips with a raised brow.

And Billy so wants to say yes. Wants to say he’ll be his knight in shining armor and so much more if Steve’ll let him. 

“Stop talking before you bust your lip open again.”

Steve smirks as Billy works his way through each cut and bruise. “You did a pretty shit job at this,” Billy says after a moment. 

“And you’re doing too good of a job at this,” Steve counters. Billy’s hands still, and his mouth drops slightly. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna say anything. Just think that you’re doing all this for me, and I never did this for you,” he says with a shrug. “Just seems like you’re doing a lot for me.”

And Billy would do anything for Steve if it meant he’d get to run his hands down the angle of his jaw like this, or if he got to count the moles on his face, or if he got to run his fingers over the curve of his lips like this. 

“What’re you doing, Bill,” Steve exhales, breath fanning out over his lips.

Billy hesitates for a moment before...“I’m taking care of you.”

___

Steve’s back in school on Monday. And Tommy spends ten minutes talking about how Steve probably got his ass handed to him by whomever beat his face in. But when Sean Stephens walks past them, face looking ten times worse than Steve’s, Tommy changes his tune and spends the next twenty minutes praising Steve’s fighting skills. 

Billy spends the day with his hands in his pockets, and a grin on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> Gonna' start a tag that says "Was supposed to be 1k words and now..." because this was only supposed to be 1k and now...
> 
> Any kudos or comments are much appreciated :) Follow me on [ tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/none-but-y0u) and send me prompt ideas!


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